"You Don't Know What it's Like to be a Black Man . . ." Is it Really a Black and White Issue?

Photo by Chance Agrella

 

The claim that Hillary Clinton or anyone else who is not a black man cannot possibly understand or relate to 'the experiences of the black man' is ludicrous and faulty in logic.

By that same logic, the person making the statement could not possibly understand or relate to the 'experiences of a white woman' or anyone else who is not a black man - which means they have no frame of reference for comparison, which is needed in order to make their statement true.

You don't need to roll in a pigsty to know it stinks, and you don't have to go into space to know that stars are beautiful. As humans we have been given a unique ability to learn about and understand things we do not directly experience, but that we observe. As humans, we also have a unique gift for being able to show compassion for the pain others suffer - that we, ourselves, have not.

You don't have to be a white woman to understand that being treated unfairly is not fun. You don't have to be a black man to know that it really stinks to be judged upon how you look.

And frankly, there is no way to possibly 'know' the experiences of everyone else - as everyone has a unique experience. My experiences as a white woman are not the same experiences as any of my female friends who are white - though we have a few in common.

We are all people, which makes us each uniquely different. It is not our race that defines us, but the choices we make when the challenges life throws at us all come our way.

What do YOUR choices say about YOU?

Which Presidential Candidate is Compatible with Your Beliefs?

Photo by Chance Agrella
Once again an online test has been constructed which is supposed to help users quickly determine which presidential candidate is most compatible with their own views and beliefs. This is based upon the user’s answer selections and the candidates stated views, which may vary widely from their actual voting or practice behaviors/track record.

At the very least, with it narrowed down, it will be easier to focus on one or two candidates and research the real deal behind their campaign before actually voting for them.

15 questions are presented and users rate them by importance according to their own belief system.

To take the test from Minnesota Public Radio, click HERE

I took the test myself, and while many of the candidates were unknown to me, the major players ended up in the actual order in which I had already personally ranked them. That was comforting to me, in some weird way.

While I don’t think those lesser known ones have a real chance of winning, I am now interested in learning more about them, as several of them beat out all of the major players, in my results.

Want some unbiased info about the candidates? Here are some links to check out:

Your Next President

Person Not Party

Vote Smart (click on the candidate’s name, then their bio or voting record, etc. This site is a work in progress)

On The Issues (click on the candidate's name to get the scoop on their stand on various issues)

Open Congress (you can track issues, congressional voting records, and more)

Most importantly, please learn the issues, the real deal about the candidates, and vote. We have no right to complain when we have done nothing to improve things for ourselves. Every vote can make a difference, as previous elections have shown.

Like what I wrote and want to buy me a cherry coke?